Starting a new business requires rising up the learning curve on a lot of different topics at one time. Even the software programs you choose to implement may require specialized training. Knowing the ins and outs of a particular option, such as Salesforce can help you hit the ground running and ensure you never miss an important step.
How Is Salesforce Helping Businesses?
The most recent statistics from the Small Business Administration show there were approximately one million new businesses opened and 833,458 closed, for a total of around 33.2 million small businesses in the United States alone. No matter how you look at it, you have competition for attention and possibly within your own niche.
One of the ways you can stand out is by automating as many processes as possible. Ensure your customer relationship management (CRM) skills are better than anyone else’s and you’ll not only gain customers but keep them for the long-term.
Salesforce helps new businesses in many different ways with automation. Here are the things you need to know to take full advantage of the benefits.
1. Know Your Customers
One of the best things you can do to ensure your messages are on target for your audience is to know who your customers are. With Salesforce, you gain access to a dashboard where you can run reports looking at demographics and other factors related to the people who already buy from you.
As you get to know the buyer persona most likely to become a loyal fan, it impacts every aspect of your new business from the inventory you order to how often you reach out to your clients.
2. Backup Important Data
It’s hard on any company to go through a computer crash or loss of data. However, a new business may not be able to recover as easily from such a hit. The average cost of a data breach was around $4.24 million in costs, security measures and lost revenue. Of course, your loss may not be in the millions but it will have a similar impact on your ability to earn income.
Salesforce automates your backups so you have fewer concerts over a database meltdown.
3. Get in the Cloud
Salesforce products are a software as a service (SaaS) that is cloud-based. Because the SaaS is in the cloud, it integrates easily with other cloud programs such as payment gateways, newsletter management and website content management programs.
Being in the cloud also means you can access information anytime, anywhere. If you have field technicians, they can pull up customer data. If you want to work from home or let staff go remote, you are already set up for it with Salesforce.
4. Implement a Chatbot
You can increase customer engagement by 90% by adding a chatbot to your site. Salesforce utilizes artificial intelligence so you can program responses or gather information before sending leads to a live agent. Not only will your system become more efficient but you’ll save money by letting the computer do some of the work.
5. Lose the Cracks
In a traditional sales environment, you’ll sometimes lose a lead along the way. Someone fails to follow up or they say they’ll return a call and never do. Implementing a CRM software such as Salesforce ensures you get reminders to follow up with your leads. You’ll not forget to reach out when someone hasn’t placed an order in a while.
Other Advantages
The platform is completely customizable to your needs as a business. Think of it as a simple CRM solution where you can add on additional features as your business grows. Salesfoce easily scales up to meet the needs of small, medium and large businesses.
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.
